Where does “kämmenselkä” come from?

kämmenselkä (Finnish) comes from Finnish kämmen, from Dutch kammen, from Dutch kam, from Middle Dutch kamp.

kämmenselkä (Finnish): back of the hand

Definitions

  1. back of the hand

Ancestry of “kämmenselkä”, step by step

kämmenselkä traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Finnish kämmen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishkämmenpalm
2Dutchkammento comb; to use any other comb, even mechanically
3DutchkamA comb, utensil to groom hair, fur etc; A ridge,...
4Middle Dutchkamp—

via Finnish selkä

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnishselkäback; ridge, spine; watershed area
2Proto-Finnicselkäback; ridge
3Proto-Finno-Permicśelkä—
Every word from Middle Dutch kamp →Every word from Dutch kam →Every word from Dutch kammen →